Gold township was not organized until 1852. Up to that time it was a part of Fairfield tonwship. The first settler that we have any record of was Samuel Mathis, who built on section 12, in 1850, about the same time that Milton Cain moved onto section 5 and Jacob Walters on 26, James Limerick on 28 and James Neff on section 20. In 1851 David Marple and George Detro settled on section 27. In 1852 Joseph Johnson from Kentucky came. He wa a unique character and for many years had a blacksmith shop near the center of section 26.
This township originally had a large amount of low land that was overflowed much of the time and was considered almost worthless. Green river runs through the entire township from east to west, being a sluggish stream with a poor outlet. In tiems of high water large tracts of land were submerged, but in 1874 the river was straightened and deepened and much of the land has been reclaimed and become productive. Previous to the 1894 ditch some frainage had been perfected. A ditch was started on section 15 and ran southwest to the center of the west line of section 22, then northwest to section six, where it united with the river.
Gold originally had some fine timber land. Long Island Grove, Trading House Grove were especially fine bodies of woodland. The latter received its name from a trading post which was located there at a very early date and for years after it was abandoned by the traders the cabin was used by hunters as a camp house. One Thomas Harzell was one of the Indian traders as early as 1829 and was stationed at this place. He was from Pennsylvania and his description of this then wild and unsettled country was published throughout the east and attracted much attention.
Hennepin canal passes through this township, it enters on section one and has a general direction of a little west of south and passes out on section 34. The population of Gold township in 1900 was 766. The following men have served as supervisors:
Joseph Johnson, 1853-54
Eben Boyden, 1855
Jasper Wood, 1856-57
A. W. Boyden, 1858
Andrew Marple, 1859
A. Morrasy, 1860-1861
Jasper Wood, 1862
A. S. Lathrop, 1863
A. Morrasy, 1864
Andrew Marple
A. Morrasy, 1866-1873
Robert Ready, 1874
S. W. Jackson, 1875
Robert Ready, 1876-79
Nehemiah Spratt, 1880-81
A. Morrasy, 1882-84
J. D. Ellis, 1885
R. A. Lathrop, 1886
W. Thomas, 1887-88
M. H. Blanding, 1889-1890
F. W. Morrasy, 1891-94
S. W. Misth, 1895-1898
F. W. Morrasy, 1899-03
Wm McCabe, 1904-06
-- Taken From the Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois. Chicago: Pioneer Publishing, 1906, Page 115-116 - Gold Township
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